Individual #Middle_East__Near_East the area around the eastern Mediterranean; from Turkey to North Africa and eastward to Iran; the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia and Babylon and Egypt and the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity and Islam; "the Middle East is the cradle of Western civilization"
instance of: #geographical_area
part: #Operation_Desert_Storm the US and its allies defeated Iraq in a ground war that lasted 100 hours (1991)
part: #Six_Day_War__Arab-Israeli_War tension between Arabs and Israeli erupted into a brief war in June 1967; Israel emerged as a major power in the Middle East
part: #Arab-Israeli_War__Yom_Kippur_War Egypt and Syria attacked Israel in October 1973 (on Yom Kippur); Israel counterattacked and drove the Syrians back and crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt
part: #Fertile_Crescent a geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from Israel to the Nile Valley and including the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
part: #Israel an ancient kingdom of the Hebrew tribes at the southeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea; founded by Saul around 1025 BC and destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BC
part: #State_of_Israel__Israel__Yisrael__Zion__Sion Jewish republic in southwestern Asia at eastern end of Mediterranean; formerly part of Palestine
part: #Akko__Acre__Akka__Accho a town and port in northwestern Israel in the eastern Mediterranean
part: #West_Bank an area between Israel and Jordan on the west bank of the Jordan river; populated largely by Palestinians
part: #Galilee an area of northern Israel; formerly the northern part of Palestine and the ancient kingdom of Israel; the scene of Jesus's ministry
part: #Gaza_Strip a coastal region at the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean bordering Israel and Egypt
part: #Golan_Heights a fortified hilly area between southern Lebanon and southern Syria; "artillery on the Golan Heights can dominate a large area of Israel"
part: #Jerusalem__capital_of_Israel capital and largest city of the modern state of Israel; a holy city for Jews and Christians and Moslems; was the capital of an ancient kingdom
part: #Calvary__Golgotha a hill near Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified
part: #Zion__Sion originally a stronghold captured by David (the 2nd king of the Israelites); above it was built a temple and later the name extended to the whole hill; finally it became a synonym for the city of Jerusalem; "the inhabitants of Jerusalem are personified as `the daughter of Zion'"
part: #Wailing_Wall a wall in Jerusalem; sacred to Jews as a place of prayer and lamentation; its stones are believed to have formed part of the Temple of Solomon
part: #Bethlehem a small town near Jerusalem on the west bank of the Jordan River where Jesus was born
part: #Sodom (Old Testament) an ancient city near the Dead Sea that (along with Gomorrah) was destroyed by God for the wickedness of its inhabitants
part: #Gomorrah__Gomorrha (Old Testament) an ancient city near the Dead Sea that (along with Sodom) was destroyed by God for the vice and depravity of its inhabitants
part: #Tel_Aviv-Jaffa__Tel_Aviv the largest city and financial center of Israel; located in western Israel on the Mediterranean
part: #Jaffa__Joppa__Yafo a port in western Israel on the Mediterranean; incorporated into Tel Aviv in 1950
part: #Haifa a port in northwestern Israel on the Bay of Acre
part: #Jordan_River__Jordan a river in Palestine that empties into the Dead Sea; John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan
part: #Negev_Desert__Negev a desert in southern Israel
part: #Dead_Sea a saltwater lake on the border between Israel and Jordan; its surface in 1292 feet below sea level
part: #Egypt__Arab_Republic_of_Egypt__United_Arab_Republic a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC
part: #Aswan_High_Dam__Aswan_Dam__High_Dam one of the world's largest dams on the Nile River in southern Egypt
part: #Sinai_Peninsula__Sinai a peninsula in northeastern Egypt; at north end of Red Sea
part: #Sinai_Desert__Sinai a desert on the Sinai Peninsula in northeastern Egypt
part: #Mount_Sinai__Sinai a mountain peak in the southern Sinai Peninsula (7,500 feet high); it is believed to be the peak on which Moses received the Ten Commandments
part: #El_Iskandriyah__Alexandria the chief port of Egypt; located on the western edge of the Nile delta on the Mediterranean Sea; founded by Alexander the Great; the capital of ancient Egypt
part: #Aswan__Assuan__Assouan an ancient city on the Nile in Egypt; site of the Aswan High Dam
part: #Cairo__El_Qahira__Egyptian_capital__capital_of_Egypt the capital of Egypt and the largest city in Africa; a major port just south of the Nile Delta; formerly the home of the Pharaohs
part: #El_Alamein a village west of Alexandria on the north coast of Egypt; the scene of a decisive Allied victory over the Germans in 1942
part: #Giza__El_Giza an ancient Egyptian city on the west bank of the Nile opposite Cairo; site of three Great Pyramids and the Sphinx
part: #Memphis.Egypt__memphi an ancient city of Egypt (S of Cairo)
part: #Luxor a city in central Egypt on the east bank of the Nile; site of the Temple of Luxor
part: #Saqqara__Saqqarah__Sakkara a town in northern Egypt; site of the oldest Egyptian pyramids (the Step Pyramid)
part: #Suez a city in northeastern Egypt at the head of the Gulf of Suez and at the southern end of the Suez Canal
part: #Suez_Canal a ship canal in northeastern Egypt linking the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea
part: #Lake_Nasser__Nasser lake in Egypt formed by dams built on the Nile River at Aswan
part: #Nile_River__Nile world's longest river (4187 miles); flows northern through Africa into the Mediterranean; the Nile River valley in Egypt was the site of the world's first great civilization
part: #Iran__Islamic_Republic_of_Iran__Persia a theocratic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; Iran was the core of the ancient Persian Empire and was known as Persia until 1935; rich in oil
part: #Teheran__Tehran__capital_of_Iran__Iranian_capital the capital and largest city of Iran; located in northern Iran
part: #Abadan a port city in southwestern Iran
part: #Mashhad__Meshed the holy city of Shiite Muslims; located in northeastern Iran
part: #Isfahan__Esfahan__Aspadana city in central Iran; former capital of Persia
part: #Shiraz a city in central southwestern Iran; ruins of ancient Persepolis are nearby
part: #Tabriz an ancient city in northwestern Iran; known for hot springs
part: #Qum a city in northwestern Iran; a place of pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims
part: #Persepolis an ancient city that was the capital of the ancient Persian Empire; now in ruins
part: #Demavend an active volcano in northern Iran
part: #Caspian_Sea__Caspian a large saltwater lake between Iran and Russia fed by the Volga River; the largest inland body of water in the world
part: #Iraq__Republic_of_Iraq__Al-Iraq__Irak a republic in the Middle East in western Asia; the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia was in the area now known as Iraq
part: #Baghdad__Bagdad__capital_of_Iraq capital and largest city of Iraq; located on the Tigris River; "Baghdad is one of the great cities of the Moslem world"
part: #Basra__Basia an oil port in southern Iraq
part: #Mosul a city in northern Iraq on the River Tigris across from the ruins of Nineveh
part: #Mesopotamia the land between the Tigris and Euphrates; site of several ancient civilizations; part of what is now known as Iraq
part: #Babylon the chief city of ancient Mesopotamia and capitol of the ancient kingdom of Babylonia
part: #Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon terraced garden at Babylon watered by pumps from the Euphrates; construction attributed to Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BC; one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
part: #Tower_of_Babel__Babel (Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah's descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one another
part: #Babylonia an ancient kingdom in southern Mesopotamia; Babylonia conquered Israel in the 6th century BC and exiled the Jews to Babylon (where the Prophet Daniel became a counselor to the king)
part: #battle_of_Cunaxa__Cunaxa battle in 401 BC when the Persian King Artaxerxes II defeated his younger brother who tried to usurp the throne
part: #Sumer an area in the southern region of Babylonia in present-day Iraq; site of the Sumerian civilization of city-states that flowered during the third millennium BC
part: #Ur an ancient city of Sumer located on a former channel of the Euphrates River
part: #Assyria an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia which is in present-day Iraq
part: #Assur__Asur__Ashur an ancient Assyrian city on the River Tigris and traditional capital of Assyria; just south of the modern city of Mosul in Iraq
part: #Nineveh an ancient Assyrian city on the River Tigris across from the modern city of Mosul in the northern part of what is now known a Iraq
part: #Babylonia an ancient kingdom in southern Mesopotamia; Babylonia conquered Israel in the 6th century BC and exiled the Jews to Babylon (where the Prophet Daniel became a counselor to the king)
part: #Sumer an area in the southern region of Babylonia in present-day Iraq; site of the Sumerian civilization of city-states that flowered during the third millennium BC
part: #Assyria an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia which is in present-day Iraq
part: #Assur__Asur__Ashur an ancient Assyrian city on the River Tigris and traditional capital of Assyria; just south of the modern city of Mosul in Iraq
part: #Nineveh an ancient Assyrian city on the River Tigris across from the modern city of Mosul in the northern part of what is now known a Iraq
part: #Euphrates_River__Euphrates a river in southwestern Asia; flows into the Persian Gulf; was important in the development of several great civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia
part: #Tigris_River__Tigris an Asian river; a tributary of the Euphrates River
part: #Jordan__Hashemite_Kingdom_of_Jordan an Arab kingdom in southwestern Asia on the Red Sea
part: #Jordan_River__Jordan a river in Palestine that empties into the Dead Sea; John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan
part: #Amman__capital_of_Jordan the capital and largest city of Jordan
part: #Aqaba__Akaba Jordan's port; located in southwestern Jordan on the Gulf of Aqaba
part: #Jericho a village in Jordan near the north end of the Dead Sea; in the Old Testament it was the first place taken by the Israelites under Joshua as the entered the Promised Land
part: #Zarqa__Az_Zarqa city in northwestern Jordan
part: #Dead_Sea a saltwater lake on the border between Israel and Jordan; its surface in 1292 feet below sea level
part: #Kuwait__State_of_Kuwait__Koweit an Arab kingdom in Asia on the northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf; a major source of petroleum
part: #Kuwait_City__capital_of_Kuwait__Kuwait__Koweit a seaport on the Persian Gulf and capital of Kuwait
part: #Lebanon__Lebanese_Republic an Asian republic at east end of Mediterranean
part: #Beirut__capital_of_Lebanon capital and largest city of Lebanon; located in western Lebanon on the Mediterranean
part: #Tarabulus__Tripoli a port in northern Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea
part: #Saida__Sidon the main city of ancient Phoenicia
part: #Sur__Tyre a port in southern Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea; formerly a major Phoenician seaport famous for silks
part: #Saudi_Arabia__Kingdom_of_Saudi_Arabia a kingdom occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia; vast oil reserves dominate the economy
part: #Riyadh__capital_of_Saudi_Arabia joint capital (with Mecca) of Saudi Arabia located in the central oasis; largest city in Saudi Arabia
part: #Mecca joint capital (with Riyadh) of Saudi Arabia; located in western Saudi Arabia; as the birthplace of Mohammed it is the holiest city of Islam
part: #Medina__Al_Madinah a city in western Saudi Arabia; site of the tomb of Mohammed; the second most holy city of Islam
part: #Jiddah__Jidda port city in western Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea
part: #Syria__Syrian_Arab_Republic an Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilization
part: #Damascus__capital_of_Syria an ancient city (widely regarded as the world's oldest) and present capital and largest city of Syria; according to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul (then known as Saul) underwent a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus
part: #Aleppo__Alep a city in northwestern Syria
part: #Euphrates_River__Euphrates a river in southwestern Asia; flows into the Persian Gulf; was important in the development of several great civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia
part: #Tigris_River__Tigris an Asian river; a tributary of the Euphrates River
part: #Turkey__Republic_of_Turkey a Eurasian republic in Asia Minor and the Balkans; achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1923
part: #Dardanelles_campaign__Dardanelles the unsuccessful campaign in World War I (1915) by the English and French to open a passage for aid to Russia; defeated by the Turks
part: #Edirne__Adrianople__Adrianopolis a city in northwestern Turkey; a Thracian town that was rebuilt and renamed by the Roman emperor Hadrian
part: #Abydos an ancient Greek colony on the Asiatic side of the Dardanelles; scene of the legend of Hero and Leander
part: #Adana__Seyhan a city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River
part: #Ankara__Turkish_capital__capital_of_Turkey the capital of Turkey; located in west-central Turkey; formerly known as Angora and is the home of Angora goats
part: #Antalya__Adalia a port city in southwestern Turkey on the Gulf of Antalya
part: #Antioch__Antakya__Antakiya a town in southern Turkey; ancient commercial center and capital of Syria; an early center of Christianity
part: #Dardanelles__Hellespont the strait between the Aegean and the Sea of Marmara that separates European from Asian Turkey
part: #Istanbul__Stambul__Stamboul__Constantinople the largest city and former capital of Turkey; rebuilt on the site of ancient Byzantium by Constantine I in the fourth century; renamed Constantinople by Constantine who made it the capital of the Byzantine Empire; now the seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church
part: #Bosporus_Bridge a suspension bridge across the Bosporus at Istanbul
part: #Bursa__Brusa a city in northwestern Turkey
part: #Izmir__Smyrna a port city in western Turkey
part: #Aegospotamos__Aegospotami a creek emptying into the Hellespont in present-day Turkey; at its mouth in 405 BC the Spartan fleet under Lysander defeated the Athenians and ended the Peloponnesian War
part: #Mount_Ararat__Ararat__Mt._Ararat the mountain peak that Noah's ark landed on as the waters of the great flood receded
part: #Aras__Araxes a river that rises in northeastern Turkey (near the source of the Euphrates) and flows generally eastward through Armenia to the Caspian Sea; ancient name was Araxes
part: #Bosporus a strait connecting the Mediterranean and the Black Sea; separates the European and Asian parts of Turkey; an important shipping route
part: #Euphrates_River__Euphrates a river in southwestern Asia; flows into the Persian Gulf; was important in the development of several great civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia
part: #Seyhan_River__Seyhan a Turkish river flowing south southwest into the Mediterranean
part: #Tigris_River__Tigris an Asian river; a tributary of the Euphrates River
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